Apium Graveolens (Celery) for treating Rheumatic Diseases

Morphology and Distribution of Celery:

The Biological Name of Celery is Apium graveolens that belongs to the Apiaceae or Umbelliferae family.

Medicinal Uses of Celery

Celery is a biennial erect herb which grows to a height of 2 to 3 feet. The leaves arise from the roots and consists of small fruits.

Celery is found grown at the base of North Western Himalayas and the outlying hills of the Punjab and in Western India. The celery herb is available in the market in Ayurvedic, Unani and Homeopathic shops. The useful parts of the plant are seeds and roots.

Synonyms of Celery in various languages:

• Hindi – Ajmoda
• Sanskrit – Ajmoda
• English – Celery
• Gujarati – Ajamoda
• Bengali – Randhuni
• Kannada – Ajamoda voma
• Marathi – Ajamoda vova
• Tamil – Asham taagam

Properties of Celery:

• Tonic
• Diuretic
• Carminative
• Emmenagogue
• Stimulant
• Antirheumatic

Phytochemicals of Celery:

The phytochemicals which are present in the celery are glycosides, terpenes, furocoumarins, volatile oils, minerals and vitamins A and C.

Forms of use of Celery:

Celery is used in the form of seed powder.

Medicinal uses of Celery:

• The drug is used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
• Celery also works as diuretic.
• Stomachic
• Aphrodisiac
• Tonic
• The drug is also used in the treatment of bronchitis and asthma as antispasmodic.
• Celery is used in weight loss diets as it provides low calorie dietary-fibre bulk.